February

February 17, 2010 by Butch
Filed under: Missions

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I hope all of you are doing well in 2010. I just thought I would write and maybe let you know some things to pray for in regard to our family and the school where we serve. We are expecting in June and before that time we are looking for a helper to stay with us the first year to help care for the baby. Also, we would appreciate your prayers in regard to the hiring process of a new HS principal for our school. There have only been 3 applicants so far. We would also, as always, like you to pray for Jesus Christ to be glorified in us as we serve. We need prayer to stand firm in the faith when Satan attacks through others and also that we would not flat line spiritually and consequently cease from sowing and reaping.

I have been reading some Watchmen Nee lately and the message of the book, Christ-the Sum of All Spiritual Things, is that if we are “serving the Lord” but doing it in our own flesh and strength, we will be exhausted and eventually burn out because of our religion. However, if we are in Christ and realize that God has given us not many things, but Christ, not power, love, faith and hope, but rather in Christ the fullness of all these things which are manifested naturally as we realize that Christ in us the hope of glory sums up all of these qualities we pray and ask to be manifested in us. This abiding produces not exhaustion from serving, but rather, energy instead. The example of John 4 when Jesus is tired from His journey and while the disciples are buying food the encounter with the woman at the well happens and he tells the disciples when they return that he “has food they don’t know about.” In John 11, Jesus doesn’t say to the Mary, Martha, and the Jews, “I will raise Lazarus from the dead,” but rather, “I AM the resurrection.” The realization is coming that God sums up all things in Christ, and Him in us is the manifestation of all of the the virtuous things we so often see ourselves as falling short of. The fact that I pray for humility is actually a sign that I expect God to give me something called humility instead of expecting Christ in me to manifest the virtue.

That being said, God has answered your prayers in regard to other saints coming into our life to seek the Lord with together. I gave a short devotion one morning at school about Jude 2-4 in regard to contending for the faith and Luke 13 “strive to enter in through the narrow way because many will seek to enter and will not be able.” This led Jason, a middle school science teacher to send me an email wanting to meet together for prayer regularly to travail before the Lord. I am seeing now that we are all truly in a place of difficulty without the body of Christ. As a result of your prayers, God is increasing the hunger of many believers in our circle. Please continue to pray.

Additionally, please pray for Amy and I both as we have struggled a bit with time management and spending time together with the Lord at night. It seems that we need insight from the Lord on how to simplify our life so that we can be before Him together constantly so that we can receive what His spirit says. We also would like your prayers that we would be full of the joy of the Lord in the midst of the darkness and know that Jesus Messiah is the only way to life; moreover, with this knowledge be blessed in our obedience to the truth. We are about to embark on a season that we have little or no knowledge about what to expect with the baby coming, please pray for us to die to selfish desires and love one another more.

Finally, we miss you all very much. When I think of you all and how much many of you have shown me, through your walk with Christ, new revelations of His love and mercy, judgments, righteousness, holiness, servitude, and glory; I am really overwhelmed with “longing for you with the affections of Christ Jesus.”

Now the God of peace, who brought up from dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21

We love you all in Christ Jesus,

Nathan and Amy

Tags: Amy & Nathan, Thailand